Jarrad Branthwaite says continuing to give his maximum in training will be the key to becoming a First-Team regular for Everton, after savouring a "very special" first experience of playing in front of a packed-out Goodison Park.
The 19-year-old defender, who signed a new deal with the Blues to June 2025 - with the option for a further year - earlier this season, made his first senior start since mid-December in the Blues' 2-0 FA Cup victory over Boreham Wood.
Branthwaite endured a frustrating spell on the sidelines with a muscular injury following a stand-out display against Chelsea at Stamford Bridge, one capped with a first goal for the Club to earn the Toffees a 1-1 draw in the capital.
Fit again and relishing Frank Lampard's new regime, the teenager insists he will do everything in his power to prove he is ready to establish himself as a consistent name on the team-sheet.
"It was very special for me," Branthwaite told evertontv. "I've been here two years now and I've played here without fans but it was the first time in front of a packed crowd, so it was extra special to get the win and the clean sheet.
"It was also my first start under the new manager and that's massive for me.
"He has been brilliant since he came in.
"He wants us to play football. That's what everyone likes at the Club and over the time he's been here, we've been developing as a team on playing from the back, being in the right positions to play.
"It definitely suits me. I feel confident on the ball. The whole team as well - we enjoy it a lot more. When we have good possession, the team really enjoys it."
The Toffees dominated their lower league opposition with 80 per cent possession and 23 shots on goal on the way to securing a last-eight clash with Crystal Palace at Selhurst Park.
While patience was the key at the top end of the pitch, Branthwaite says full focus was still vital at the back.
"It was about concentration," he continued. "We kept the ball a lot so the ball was further up the pitch a lot - but we had to stay switched on with their two strikers up front and you have to win those long balls. It was really important to stay switched on.
"It was 0-0 at half-time but we were confident in ourselves that if we kept playing, kept moving the ball around, moving them around, then we would create our opportunities - and that's what we did.
"Hopefully my performance tonight said to the manager that I'm ready [for more games]. Obviously, it's against a lower league team but you still have to go out there and perform well.
"Hopefully I've caught the manager's eye.
"I've just got to keep working hard and those opportunities will come, as we've seen.
"When I came on at Newcastle that was one and then again tonight I've had another. I've just got to keep working and see where that takes me.
"It was frustrating [not being able to build momentum after the Chelsea performance] but I knew that could happen.
"That's what it is as a young player. There are experienced pros there that are in the team because they've played so many games and they've done well."
Lampard has frequently highlighted the importance of maximum effort and quality performances in training since taking the managerial reins just over a month ago.
And Branthwaite has full belief in the sincerity of his boss' words, having seen first-hand the likes of Alex Iwobi and Jonjoe Kenny move from the peripheries to regular starters in recent weeks.
"That is the most important thing," he said. "Them being able to do that comes from training every day, the standards they set on themselves - that's got them in the team.
"Their performances recently prove why they should be there.
"It's all about training hard and pushing until you get into the team.
"The manager wants us to train as hard as we can every day and then the opportunities will come - I know they will."
Attention now switches back to the Premier League, with a trip to Tottenham Hotspur on Monday night (8pm GMT) next up for the Toffees.
Branthwaite, meanwhile, believes he and his teammates must approach the test against Antonio Conte's side with an increased sense of self-belief to mitigate the lack of atmosphere the Blues have thrived in at Goodison since Lampard's arrival.
"It's a massive," he added. "We have to take momentum from this result and go there with the right mentality that we can beat them - because I'm sure we can.
"It does [feel like confidence and momentum are steadily growing]. The results at home are there - we just need to fix our away performances but that will come.
"The manager has only been in for a short time but his ideas have come across to the players. It can take time but we're seeing parts of it clicking together.
"We have to go to Spurs with the right mentality.
"Obviously, when we're at home the fans are so up for it. It's about us as players believing in ourselves without that.
"We have the quality there. The season isn't going our way so far but we have quality in the team to push on."
